Bob Baumhower Baumhower was a unique player, tall (6-5) for a nose tackle and may have been better suited as a 4-3 tackle or 3-4 end. John, in your opinion, and others on this site, would you put Smerlas, Krumrie or Henry Thomas in the HOF ? Like all 4-3 nose tackles, Pekoregularly operates in a shaded alignment over the center. NFL players are large in size. These amazing nose tackles may currently be active while others have been retired for quite sometime. Then he was signed by the Buffalo Bills, but it was with Minnesota Vikings where he shined and reached his full potential. Being a team player is their primary characteristic. Kendall Wright looked like the perfect slot receiver for a lot of the year. Chicago Bears, 1985-1993; Philadelphia Eagles, 1993-1994 One-time Super Bowl champion Recorded 29.5 sacks in 138 NFL games, Oakland Raiders, 1996; New Orleans Saints, 1997-2001; Dallas Cowboys, 2002-2005; St. Louis Rams 2006-2008 Voted to six Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro one time NFL 2000s All-Decade Team 2000 NFC Defensive Player of the Year 2000 NFL sacks leader (17.5) Finished career with 433 tackles, 83.5 sacks and 16 forced fumbles, San Francisco 49ers, 1994-2007 One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to four Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro one time NFL 1990s All-Decade Team Had 89.5 sacks and 618 tackles in 208 career games, Cleveland Browns, 1946-1953 One-time NFL champion Voted to three Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro three times NFL 1940s All-Decade Team Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Baltimore Ravens, 2006-2014; Detroit Lions, 2015-Present One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro two times Started 160 of 162 NFL games Has 29.5 sacks, 491 tackles, 6 forced fumbles and 5 interceptions in 11 NFL seasons, Baltimore Ravens, 2013-Present One of the most dominant interior defensive linemen in NFL today Became highest-paid nose tackle in the NFl by signing a five-year, $54 million deal with Ravens in March Has 4.5 sacks and 101 tackles in 55 career games, Cincinnati Bengals, 1983-1994 Voted to two Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro one time Recorded 34.5 sacks and 1,017 career tackles Missed only four games (out of 192) in 12-year career, Detroit Lions, 1958-1970 Voted to four Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro three times NFL 1960s All-Decade Team Missed only one game in 12-year career, New England Patriots, 2001-2008; Oakland Raiders, 2009-2012 Three-time Super Bowl champion Voted to seven Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro three times NFL 2000s All-Decade Team Logged 57.5 sacks and recorded 496 career tackles, Minnesota Vikings, 1985-1990; Green Bay Packers, 1992; Seattle Seahawks, 1992; Philadelphia Eagles, 1993 Voted to two Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro two times 1989 NFL Defensive Player of the Year NFL 1980s All-Decade Team Holds NFL record for most sacks by DT in single season (18) Three double-digit sack seasons Recorded 58 career sacks, Houston Oilers, 1985-1995; Dallas Cowboys, 1996 Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro one time NFL-record three fumble recoveries in single game Recorded 76.5 sacks, 861 tackles, and 19 forced fumbles in 12-year NFL career, Pittsburgh Steelers, 1950-1963 Two-time Super Bowl champion Voted to nine Pro Bowls (1957 Pro Bowl MVP), First Team All-Pro once NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team Recorded 23 fumble recoveries and at time of retirement was the all-time career safeties leader with three Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, San Francisco 49ers, 1950-1963 Voted to 10 Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro six times NFL 1950s All-Decade Team 49ers' first-ever draft pick Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Baltimore Colts, 1950; New York Yanks, 1951; Dallas Texans, 1952; Baltimore Colts, 1953-1961 Two-time NFLchampion Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro four times NFL 1950s All-Decade Team Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Cleveland Browns, 1957-1958; Green Bay Packers, 1959-1969 Two-time Super Bowl champion, five-time NFL champion Voted to four Pro Bowls (1961 Pro Bowl MVP), First Team All-Pro five times 21 career fumble recoveries Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Chicago Bears 1979-1990 One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to four Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro four times NFL 1980s All-Decade Team Made All-Pro as both defensive end and defensive tackle Officially credited with 57 career sacks Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, New York Jets, 1977-1987; Indianapolis Colts, 1989 Voted to four Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro two times 1981 AFC Player of the Year Started 145 of 155 NFL games 24 career sacks, 9 fumble recoveries in 10 NFL seasons Anthony Munoz called Klecko "the strongest guy I ever faced. This can either give them an advantage or disadvantage, depending on the play being called by the offense. He. For the first half of his career, he played all downs, playing left tackle in the Bills sub defensive packages, something not all nose tackles could do. The Pittsburgh run defense has been at or near the top of the league standings throughout Hamton's decade long tenure over the center. Jamal Williams career seemed to be heading into obscurity as a very good shade (nose) tackle in a 4-3 defense for the Chargers from 1998 to 2004. Take a look at how they stack. Pouha is blessed with tremendous strengthand possesses deceptive speed when working down the line. Said legendary writer/talent evaluator Joel Buchsbaum about Carter, "has awesome ability, strength, quickness, and explosion but is not very durable". He had great strength, along with skills and techniques. Great list -- Curley is indeed #1. Though he played as a run stuffer in the later part of his career, he is mostly known for his role as a nose tackle. He was a 'move' guy, not a power guy and he could rush the passer very well in addition to playing his two-gap responsibilities. Coming out of Georgia, Wynn was clearly a great athlete and an accomplished player, but he was far from the prototype in terms of height and length for offensive tackles in the NFL. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Excellent article, John T! Soliai excels at drawing and occupying double teams. It is no coincidence that with Peko disrupting the line of scrimmage, youngsters Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunalp have been able to blossom into dangerous pass rushers. Plenty of other factors were there, but the move to the 3-4 defense and Culp's play in it were certainly right up there in the reasons why there was a turnaround (they were 3-31 in the previous 34 games prior to Culp's arrival.). Nose tackles dont receive a lot of glamour in modern football. While most nose tackles dont receive a lot of praise from the fans (largely due to their lack of stats), some nose tackles throughout history were so good that you had to recognize them no matter what. He played both ways early in his career but his primary position was right over the center in 5-man lines. He did play some 3-4 end in his career and was always effective as a defensive tackle in the Chiefs 4-man lines when they went to nickel, he would routinely turn in 5, 6, or 7-sack seasons. While Ngata fell to the shadows behind the likes of Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis, the former Oregon Ducks star was a force to be reckoned . With that said, the nose tackle position is highly respected by their teammates and is most likely going to be the defensive coordinators favorite player when things are going well. Joe Nash is a glaring omission. The players Hey there! Of course, it leaves some space right up the middle. He was drafted into the NFL in 2004 by the New England Patriots. Hank Thomas is one of the more underrated players in recent NFL history in our view, right up there with Eugene Robinson, LeRoy Butler, Larry Brooks, and others. Pro Football Network analyst Matt Valdovinos ranks the top 25 offensive tackles in the NFL. This is where the defensive player lines up head-to-head with the offensive tackle. He had unusually large legs and Dolphin locker room lore includes the fact that even the large socks would not fully cover Baumhower's calves when stretched all the way to the top. As we learned above, the nose tackle lines up in the middle of the defensive line in a 3-4 defense which consists of one nose tackle and two defensive ends. Here is a ranking ofthe 10 best nose tackles in the game today. He was not quite the size of Ted Washington, but he was more than the 315 pounds he was listed at, though. Fat Pat Williams is top 10 material bias aside. Donald is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a seven-time First-Team All-Pro, Made the 2010 NFL All . However, we are going to keep it short. edit* Hampton was a beast don't know how I didn't think of him! This is because the 4-3 defensive scheme has two inside linebackers that can fill those two gaps if needed. Other than Polamalu there wasnt a better player on those defenses. He'd done yeoman's work, playing the run, coming out of the game on likely passing downs, but never getting a sniff of Hawaii and the Pro Bowl. Highest single-season PFF grades since 2017 Donald's peers are the NFL's all-time greats on defense the Reggie Whites and Lawrence Taylors of the world rather than anyone else currently playing. Super Bowl LVII: All You Need To Know About Its Results, Winner, Highlights and Half-Time Show !! Joe Klecko (89%, 59 Votes) Kris Jenkins (8%, 5 Votes) Jason Ferguson (3%, 2 Votes) Sione Pouha (0%, 0 Votes) Abdul Salaam (0%, 0 Votes). The 3-4 had been around for years but no one committed to it on an every-down basis like the Patriots in 1974. With that said, most nose tackles in the league are anywhere from 60 to 63 and weigh anywhere from 300-350 pounds. He ended his career with 32.5 sacks and 75.5 run stuffs. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. However, the proliferation of 3-4 fronts in recent seasons has made the position more important. Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A coach usually elects to have two defensive tackles on the field, although one of those defensive tackles might be a versatile nose tackle. With Hampton occluding the middle of an opposing blocking scheme, ball carriers are consistentlyforced sideways. A long injury layoff is the only reason that Buffalo Bills defensive linchpin Kyle Williams didn't make the list. In recent seasons the position has taken on greater significance thanks to the proliferation of 3-4 fronts. He was a Dr. Z favorite as well. started his career with the Detroit Lions in 1987 and later played in three more teams, including Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, and Minnesota Vikings. With that in mind, he shared some final thoughts on his playing career. We provide you with the latest breaking news and videos straight from the entertainment industry. Plus he played the position until 39 years old; amazing longevity for a position where you're fighting off double teams from other 300 lb men your whole career. If youre a football player, you must understand what a defensive technique is. He was All-Pro once and a Second-team All-Pro once and an All-AFC pick twice and voted to four Pro Bowls. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. I swear every time there is a discussion about nose tackles Ngata is mentioned, and Ravens fans go berserk because he doesn't play nose tackle. Jake Matthews, Atlanta Falcons. Akiem Hicks is one of the best run defenders in the NFL today. They have a similar role, but the defensive schemes are very different. Since nose tackles are largely responsible for clogging up the middle of the line of scrimmage, its almost required that they have a big body thats difficult to block. NFL Media senior analyst and personnel guru Gil Brandt ranks the best offensive tackles in NFL history. Not only that, but theyre offensive linemans specifically the center and guards worst nightmare. This article features the ten best nose tackles of all time in the NFL who set examples of how to contribute from the back. 25. Moving former defensive end Isaac Sopoaga to nose tackle has made an already stout 49ers run defense even more formidable. Its okay for a nose tackle to be smaller or bigger than the average nose tackle, so long as that player is good at taking up space and freeing up room for the rest of the defense to do what they do best. This type of scheme consists of five players on the defensive line a nose guard, two defensive tackles, and two defensive ends. Just because a NT doesn't 2 gap doesn't mean he's not a true NT, that's all down to preference of scheme by the coach. WhenToeaina is over the center, the Bears run defense is more stout. But the tenacious and resourcefulfourth-year prois a significant member of the Bears defensive line rotation. . Ive played and watched sports all my life and have coached them as well for the last few years. By Matthew Valdovinos. If you can do that, then your coach will always have a spot for you on the defense. The best decision that Rob Ryan made when he took over stewardship of the Cowboys defense, was to leave Ratliff over the center, and defy the calls to move him to end. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Dedicated to reporting mainstream and esoteric aspects of professional football. Lets see why these players are considered the best nose tackles of all time. Defensive tackles rarely line up head-to-head with the center. Wilfork has served as the centerpiece of BillBelichick's hybrid defenses for years. A Financial Overview, What Is a Cycle in Baseball? 3-4 Defences have only become really popular around the nfl in the last 15 years so there hasn't been that many Nose Tackles in the last 40-50 years in comparison to other positions. As one of the few proponents of the traditional, 2-gap style 3-4 leftin the game, the Steelers are absolutely reliant on a dominant nose tackle. He also forced 19 fumbles and recorded three defensive touchdowns. Probably the most technically sound nose tackle on this list, Wilfork's leverage and footwork are outstanding. When done correctly, the nose tackle acts as a space-eater. He was First-team All-Pro once and a Second-team All-Pro twice and was a Pro Bowler all three of those seasons. He was a true 2 gap run stuffer. Two slots for the Pro Bowl and at times 25 of the teams in the NFL playing a 3-4 defense. He was also one of the best kick blockers ever and the best of the 2000s by far with 17 blocked place kicks. Matt Toeainais the most unheralded member of the Chicago Bears tough defense. Enter Wade Phillips who installed a 3-4 and Williams as the nose andvoila, he's in the Pro Bowl for the next three years. There have been many legendary nose tackles in the NFL and NCAA, and you'll find all of them on this list below. Early on it was mostly the more experimental AFC teams, including the perfect Dolphins, and was part of why the AFC dominated the NFC in the 70's. The 6"1' 325 pound Hamptonis an immovable force in the middle of Pittsburgh's front seven. May 18, 2022 9:45 am ET. In 1985 Pickel took over the nose tackle spot in the Raiders defense and he'd play the usual shade spot in passing downs. Defensive techniques serve two major purposes they tell the defenders where they need to line up for that specific play and they tell the defenders what their role is when on the field. His role into 2021 as a top defensive tackle will be to keep rookie linebacker Jamin Davis free to attack downhill. But Ball did it. The two-time pro bowler Hank Thomas is often underappreciated and is one of the most underrated players of recent times. Had he not been denied the opportunity to follow up his stellar 2010 season, Williams would certainly have merited inclusion. Now we are getting into the run-stopping specialists, though very good at that specialty. Much like you have the 2i-technique, which lines up on the inside of the offensive guard, you also have the 4i-technique, which lines up on the inside of the offensive tackle opposed to the outside of the tackle. The one season he filled in for an injured 3-tech (Keith Millard) he did will, recording 8.5 sacks and 7.5 stuffs and 82 tackles. Throughout history, there have been several players that have revolutionized what it means to be a nose tackle. The same argument applies to Barry Cofield of the Washington Redskins. There are always 22 football players on the field at once and they all have their own specialized roles. Instead, they line up head-to-head with the offensive guards. Gary Dunn/NT - 1976-1987. The next year, Taylor was released, and this became the season Wilfork made his name known by recording 54 tackles in only 16 games. Raji's versatility is the foundation of Green Bay's defensive scheme. Career stats of Henry Thomas: 6. Al Amin Sagor is simply a movie freak who is passionate about writing entertainment content. List of the most famous (American) football nose tackles in the history of the sport, listed by popularity with photos of the players when available. Would have put Maas and Gilbert Brown much higher, but really enjoyed this list. You simply cant run a 3-4 defensive scheme without one. But Garay's brute force makes him formidable at the point of attack. New England is one of the greatest sports franchises of the last 20 years. Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, 1968-1982 Voted to eight Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro two times Two-time Super Bowl champion Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Cleveland Browns, 1946-1967 Voted to nine Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro four times Four-time NFL champion Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Buffalo Bills 2004-2008; Philadelphia Eagles 2009-present One-time Super Bowl champion (LII) Voted to Pro Bowl nine times, First Team All-Pro twice Has started 166 of 176 career games Has two career receiving touchdowns, Dallas Cowboys 2011-present Voted to Pro Bowl five times, First Team All-Pro twice Voted No. The Dolphins defensive anchor is steadily building a reputation as one of the most difficult to handle nose tackles in the game. The change of league did not have much impact on the team as the team continued to dominate, and in 19450, they became the NFL champion. Take a look at all the action as the 2023 Combine gets underway in Indianapolis. Then in 1986-87 he was still the starter but played less in passing situations and recorded just one sack in 1987 and five in 1988. Thomas played in 213 games, started 199 of them, totaled 864 tackles including 93.5 sacks and 95.0 run stuffs, totals that rival players like Warren Sapp and Bryant Young, two of the 1990s All-Decade selections. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Jamal Williams was the monster in the middle. The number one requirement of a nose tackle is to take on and occupy blockers. The most common requirement of a nose tackle is to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of the rest of the defense. After getting drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1984, Michael Carter remained unmoved throughout his pro football career. However, here are ten players who were not just great nose tackles but also great defensive backs of all time. Admittedly, in this period, it was less characterized by the dominating nose tackle and more by the fearsome outside linebacker, such as Lawrence Taylor. One of his best assets is his quick first step, giving him an excellent takeoff at the snap. It used to take three blockers to stop him. This would make them more responsible for the B-gap (in-between the tackle and guard). Ratliff is one of the most dominant players in the league and is the key to the Cowboys multiple 3-4 scheme. 1. Take a look at the photographs that served as the artistic blueprint for Super Bowl LVII, and see how they were incorporated into the numerous event spaces throughout the state. 11. His pro career started as remaining undrafted and ended as one of the best nose tackles of all time! . Defensive nose tackles do not have flashy statistics or bouquets of trophies on their accolades; rather, they silently distribute for the teams wins. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. Balls retired from the game in 1999, leaving behind a dominant legacy. 8. However, his play for the Titans down the stretch was . Follow us on Twitter: @NFL_Journal - I realize he was mostly a part-time player but I thought Pete Kugler for the 49ers played alot of quality snaps. I created this website to share my passion with all of you. Paul Soliai is one of the finest 2-gappers in the league. He's likely best known for a gruesome broken leg in the Super Bowl versus the 49ers but he came back from that in 1989 and had a couple solid seasons after that. 18 in NFL Network's Top 100 Players list in 2017 Has started all 105 career games played, Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers, 1960-1969; Oakland Raiders 1971 Voted to eight AFL all-star games, First Team All-AFL eight times Appeared in five AFL title games Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Minnesota Vikings, 1986-1992; Denver Broncos, 1993-1997 Voted to nine Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro three times One-time Super Bowl champion Made 169 consecutive starts Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Jacksonville Jaguars, 1995-2001 Voted to five Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro three times Drafted with the Jaguars' first-ever pick, New Orleans Saints, 1993-2001; Kansas City Chiefs 2002-2005 Voted to 11 Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro three times One of 13 players to be named to multiple all-decades team (90s and 2000s) Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, New York Giants, 1953-1965 Voted to nine Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro six times One-time NFL champion Named NFL's Lineman of Year, 1956 Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Philadelphia Eagles, 1964-1968; Los Angeles Rams, 1969-1970; Oakland Raiders, 1971-1973 Voted to six Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro five times Selected to All-Decade Team of the 1960s Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Los Angeles/St. We also mentioned how the 1-technique lines up on the outside shoulder of the center and the 3-technique lines up on the outside shoulder of the offensive guard. He possessed a freakish combo of power and speed for someone of his size. Johnson played just eight years but they were mostly good some, some even very great. He toiled in obscurity in Seattle at a time when the league wanted to forget Seattle existed & still was a 1st team AP & Pro Bowler in 1984, and could easily have been a Pro Bowl player in 2 other seasons. Occupying multiple blockers and creating lanes of pursuit for fellow defenders is the weekly requirement of a nose tackle, regardless of system.